“Please check back later for an updated schedule,” the site advised, sending reporters into speculation fifth gear.

The day’s news cycle was peppered with calls for Trump to drop out, and be replaced by Pence – some of them coming from inside the Republican party, according to press reports.

Fueling the speculation, Pence bailed on plans to fill in for Trump today at a campaign event in Wisconsin, where he was to have joined House Speaker Paul Ryan. Ryan had uninvited Trump from what was supposed to have been their first joint campaign appearance. This, after WaPo released that 2005 audio and video tape of Trump making extremely vulgar/predatory comments about women.

Pence did attend a fundraiser today, but his pull-out from Ryan’s “unity” event was widely perceived as an “own-it, Donald!” gesture. Especially given the statement Pence issued this morning blasting Trump’s assault-talk:

This evening, two Pence campaign events were put on his schedule. One is in Charlotte, Virginia, and one in Fayetville, North Carolina. Both are set for Monday morning, however, so that Pence can see if Trump does, in fact, use tomorrow night’s debate as an opportunity to “show what is in his heart” – and likes what he sees there.